Around the New Zealand coast there are over 2000 shipwrecks or maritime sites.
New Zealand's earliest known shipwreck dates to 1795. Many wrecks have been subjected to fossicking by divers
for the odd relic, many of which have not received the necessary conservation
treatment, to prevent them from deteriorating and have been unfortunately
lost. Once artifacts are removed from site without correct recording of the site, their
context in relation to the wreck is lost, therefore their relevance to
history is also lost.

These activities not only deprive the nation
of these treasures, but also destroy the historical value of these
artifacts.

Shipwrecks provide us with a fascinating
glimpse of the past. The cargo and the possessions of the crew and passengers
can give us an insight in to the life style of the people, the countries
they come from and their destination.

The remains of the vessels can provide
us with information on building techniques and materials used in their
construction.

So much valuable information is lost through
incorrect wreck investigation, through lack of knowledge or understanding
of how important these finds might be.

In New Zealand, any shipwreck of a vessel that was built prior to 1900AD
is protected as an archaeological site by the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act.

All shipwrecks are protected by the Maritime
Transport Act 1994. However, these Acts alone cannot save these wrecks.
In an attempt to protect New Zealand's rich maritime heritage, a group
of concerned divers and non-divers joined together to form this association
through which it is hoped that divers and others can be educated to
act responsibly and correctly with sites and artifacts.

MAANZ and its role

MAANZ
role is to provide a voice for our maritime heritage in the areas of
research, community awareness and in the promotion of appropriate site
investigation procedures. MAANZ details the principles it upholds here: